Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of ethnicity

Hotel Babylon

The first interior shot miss-en-scene is used to show a white male in a brash suit being spoken to by two police officers, semic code is used for the audience to believe that he is the boss of the hotel due to his nice suit and his sense of being in charge of this situation of the police entering the building. Furthermore this white man in the suit presumably being high up in his workplace follows the stereotype of white males having good jobs and being well off. 

The next main scene shows some hotel staff running around to get the illegal workers hidden, intense and fast music is played in the background this makes it seem more urgent and increasing tension as they are trying to alarm all the people to hide. The editing is also used well to show the increase in urgency with a shorter cutting rhythm, this increases the tension by making it more fast paced and energetic. The increase in tension can highlight the common stereotype of their being conflict between races with the tension rising as white boarder force officers are coming to to take the predominantly non-white illegal workforce away so there is instantly a conflict between the races. The shorter cutting rhythm also shows the urgency of the situation for them running to be hidden in a small room. 

Whilst in the small room action code is used to show a woman fainting due to her diabetes, instantly a black male helps her out by curing what has happened to her. This is a countertype as it goes against the stereotype of black males as he is helping the woman out so is a countertype of black males who are usually portrayed as being thuggish and not caring about anyone but themselves.

When the ball male cleaner is apprehended a mid-shot is used, this is used to clearly show who is the bad person and that they have captured him. The fact that it shows a black male being arrested is a massive stereotype as it is very common that black males are often depicted as being criminals as the fact this man is follows closely to this stereotype. Also because the man is arrested the audience feel sorry for him and feel pitiful which is a common stereotype that black people are pitied an in this case it being by the audience.

Overall ethnicity stereotypes are used greatly this situation mainly to highlight the storyline that the police are coming to arrest people. But countertypes are also used which shows one of the characters in a better light.